Center of Excellence for Stability Police Units

U.S. Support to the New Center of Excellence for Stability Police Units (COESPU)

The United States and Italy signed an agreement on September 23, 2005 formalizing U.S. support to the newly established international Center of Excellence for Stability Police Units (COESPU), located in Vicenza, Italy.

U.S. support to COESPU is a key element of the President’s Global Peace Operations Initiative (GPOI) and affirms U.S. commitment to the G-8 Action Plan "Expanding Global Capability for Peace Support Operations" endorsed by G-8 partners at Sea Island in June 2004. G-8 partners agreed to support the Italian initiative to establish an international training center to train the Stability Police (i.e. Carabinieri/Gendarmerie-like units) of interested nations, including those in Africa, for peace support operations.

Stability Police can help fill the security gap between military forces and civilian police in peace support operations by relieving some of the burden on military units and by establishing a stable environment in which civilian police can operate effectively. A greater number of similarly trained and equipped Stability Police units are needed to participate in a growing number of international peace support operations and related activities.

COESPU’s first classes will commence on November 7 with students from Cameroon, India, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Morocco, and Senegal.

Questions may be directed to Jason Greer, Director, Congressional and Public Affairs, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, U.S. Department of State, phone: (202) 647-7878.

2005/898 Media Note, Office of the Spokesman, Washington, DC, September 27, 2005

more at G-8 and Italy or Cameroon and India or Jordan and Kazakhstan or Kenya and Morocco or Senegal